This invention relates to an apparatus for tuning a piano, and more particularly, to an electrical device that automatically tunes a piano.
Traditionally, an acoustic piano is tuned by a trained technician, schooled in the craft of piano tuning, who utilizes complex, learned methods. The trained technician determines when the piano string is in tune by either using a tuning fork or an electronic strobe tuner as a pitch sensing aid and then systematically tuning each piano string by manually turning the tuning pins with a special wrench. This service is usually required at least twice a year and the pianist is virtually the only modern musician that cannot tune his or her own instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,239, issued to Shimauchi et al. on Aug. 23, 1977, discloses an automatic adjustment device for piano strings that requires use of a separate pulse motor art connected to the tuning pin for each and every piano string. This is a very expensive apparatus that could affect the acoustics of the piano by requiring the presence of 220 pulse motors and associated electronic controllers due to the fact that an average piano has 220 piano strings. The maintenance expenses and potential problems associated with this type of apparatus will be considerable and the failure of just one mechanism associated with a single string could negate the benefits of this type of device.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
In one aspect of this invention, an apparatus for self-tuning a piano is disclosed. This apparatus includes a housing, a plurality of piano strings, each having a first end portion and a second end portion, a plurality of first attachment mechanisms for respectively securing the first end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings to the housing, a plurality of second attachment mechanisms for respectively securing the second end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings to the housing and a voltage mechanism electrically connected to each piano string of the plurality of piano strings for selectively applying voltage to thermally expand each piano string of the plurality of piano strings to alter pitch to a predetermined value.
In another aspect of this invention, an apparatus for self-tuning a piano is disclosed. This apparatus includes a housing, a plurality of piano strings, each having a first end portion and a second end portion, a plurality of first attachment mechanisms for securing the first end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings to the housing, a plurality of second attachment mechanisms for securing the second end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings to the housing, a voltage mechanism that is electrically connected to each piano string of the plurality of piano strings, a plurality of pickups positioned adjacent to the plurality of piano strings that generates a signal that is representative of pitch for each piano string of the plurality of piano strings and a pitch comparison mechanism that contrasts the representative value for pitch for each piano string of the plurality of piano strings with a predetermined value of pitch for each piano string of the plurality of piano strings and generates a differential value, wherein the pitch comparison mechanism is electrically connected to the voltage mechanism so that voltage from the voltage mechanism can be applied to each piano string of the plurality of piano strings so that the respective differential value can be minimized due to thermal expansion of each piano string caused by an application of voltage.
Yet another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for self-tuning a piano is disclosed. The method includes a housing, a plurality of piano strings, each having a first end portion and a second end portion, a plurality of tuning pins for securing the first end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings to the housing, a plurality of hitch pins for securing the second end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings to the housing, a voltage source connected to a selective switching mechanism, which is electrically connected to each piano string of the plurality of piano strings, a plurality of magnetic pickups positioned adjacent to the plurality piano strings that generates a signal that is representative of pitch for each piano string of the plurality of piano strings, a plurality of drive coils positioned adjacent to the plurality piano strings that sustains vibration in each piano string of the plurality of piano strings and a controller that contrasts the representative value for pitch for each piano string of the plurality of piano strings with a predetermined value of pitch for each piano string of the plurality of piano strings and generates a differential value, wherein the controller is electrically connected to the switching mechanism so that pulse width modulated voltage from the voltage source can be applied to each piano string of the plurality of piano strings so that the respective differential value can be minimized due to thermal expansion of each piano string by an application of voltage and thermal contraction in an absence of voltage.
Still another aspect of the present invention, a method for self-tuning a piano is disclosed. The method includes selectively applying voltage with a voltage mechanism to each piano string of a plurality of piano strings to provide thermal expansion of each piano string by an application of voltage and thermal contraction of each piano string in an absence of voltage to alter pitch of the piano string to a predetermined value, wherein each piano string of the plurality of piano strings has a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings is respectively secured to a housing by a plurality of first attachment mechanisms and the second end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings is respectively secured to the housing by a plurality of second attachment mechanisms and the plurality of piano strings are electrically insulated from each other.
Another aspect of the present invention, a method for self-tuning a piano is disclosed. The method includes selectively applying voltage with a voltage mechanism to each piano string of a plurality of piano strings to provide thermal expansion of each piano string by an application of voltage and thermal contraction of each piano string in an absence of voltage to alter pitch of the piano string to a predetermined value, wherein each piano string of the plurality of piano strings has a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings is respectively secured to a housing by a plurality of first attachment mechanisms and the second end portion of each piano string of the plurality of piano strings is respectively secured to a housing by a plurality of second attachment mechanisms and the plurality of piano strings are electrically insulated from each other, generating a signal that is representative of pitch for each piano string of the plurality of piano strings with a plurality of pickups positioned adjacent to the plurality of piano strings, comparing the representative value for pitch for each piano string of the plurality of piano strings with a predetermined value of pitch for each piano string of the plurality of piano strings with a pitch comparison mechanism to generate a differential value and selectively applying voltage from the voltage mechanism to each piano string of the plurality of piano strings so that the respective differential value can be minimized due to thermal expansion of each piano string by an application of voltage and thermal contraction of each piano string in an absence of voltage.
These are merely a few illustrative aspects of the present invention and should not be deemed an all-inclusive listing of the innumerable aspects associated with the present invention.